Ball-dispensing attachment for pool tables



D. F. PRICE March 11, 1952 BALL-DISPENSING ATTACHMENT FOR POOL TABLES 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 16, 1949 INVENTOR.

Douglas 1 Price ATTOIZNEYS D. F. PRICE March 11, 1952 BALL-DISPENSING ATTACHMENT FOR POOL TABLES 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 16, 1949 D- F. PRICE March 11, 1952 BALL-DISPENSING ATTACHMENT FOR POOL TABLES Filed Aug. 16, 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

.DouQlasRPrice ATTORNEYS D. F. PRICE March 11, 1952 BALL-DISPENSINGATTACHMENT FOR POOL TABLES Filed Aug. 16, 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Z .m 2 w W w H m M/// AITOQNEYS Patented Mar. 11, 1952 OFFICE;

BALL-DISPENSING ATTACHMENT on; OO BL S' DevslasE- P ce, a Sp n s Application August 16, 1949,; Serial No. 110,485 6.- Qlaims.-, (01., 3 Z 4b This invention relates to billiard ball-dispensins devices, and more particularly to an attachmen-t fora pool table to allow a player to serve himself with billiard balls by the insertion of a coin and to allow the player to secure scratched balls when the cue ball scratches during play.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved coin-operated attachment for billiard tables to allow a billiard player to serve himself with billiard balls, said attachment being simple in construction, easy to in tall, and being adjustable to enable any number of scratched balls to be served for a given coin inserted in the attachment.

A further object of the inventionis to provide 'an improved coin-operated billiard ball-serving attachment for billiard tables, said attachment being relatively inexpensive to manufacture, be: ing substantially automatic in operation, and eliminating the need of providing a supervisory attendant to supervise. the serving of billiard balls. to the tables of: a billiard establishment.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claims, and from the accoinpanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a top, plan View of a billiard balldispensing attachment constructed in accord-, ance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary detail view in top plan of the billiard ball-metering mechanism employed in the attachment of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a, longitudinal vertical cross-sectio al view; taken on 1ine 3:3 ofrFigure I;

Figure 4 is a longitudinal CIFOSSz-SBOtlOIlELI view ak n on 1ine.4,4 of Figure 1-;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary enlarged side elevaa tional View; partly broken away, ofthe metering mechanism disclosed in Figure 2;

Figure 6 is, a vertical transverse cross-sectional view taken on line 6-.-6 of Figure 1;

Figure, '7 is an elevational detail View of the metering mechanism shown in Figures 2 and 5, said view being taken on line of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawings, 20 designates a rectangular housing adapted to be secured in any suitable manner beneath the] forward marginal portion of a conventional billiard table with the lower left corner of the housing,

as viewed in Figure 1, disposed below and in communication with the ball-return chute of the table. The housing 20 is provided with a longitudinal partition wall 2| defining a longitudinal space 22 through which the billiard balls dropping from the ball-return chutemaypass. Designated at i3; is a short, downwardly and forwardly-inclined plate member secured in the upper rear portion of the space 22. Designated at I2 is an elongated plate member, extending longitudinally in the space 22, and being transversely pivoted at its intermediate portion, as shown at 23, to the side walls of said space for rocking movement therein. As shown in Figure 3, one end of plate member [2 terminates just short of plate member l3 and the other end of plate member l2 terminates a short distance from the forward end wall of housing 20, indicated at 24, Designated at 8 is a longitudinal bar member which is pivoted to partition wall 2| at 25 and which extends through a vertical slot 26 formed in forward end wall '24. Over-v lying bar member 8 is a transverse pin member 9 which extends through an arcuate lot 21 in wall 2| and is secured by a bracket 28 to the under side of plate member l2 at a location spaced forwardly with respect to the pivotal connection 23 of said plate member. Bar member 8 is provided with a handle 29. By raising the handle 29, the plate member I2 is rotated counterclock wise, as viewed in Figure 3, from its normal full line position to its dotted line position Secured in the rear end of space 22 below plate member I3 is a downwardly and forwardly-inclined plate member [4. Designated at I5 is; an elongated, downward-1y and forwardly-inclined plate member secured in the lower portion of space 22 and extending from beneath plate member |4 to the forward end wall '24. The

bottom of the housing 20 is formed with a chute opening 38, and the partition wall 2| is formed. wi h an opening 3| adjacent end wall. 24 establishing communication between the forward end of space 22 and the chute opening 30. From Figure 3, it is apparent that with handle 29 in its full line position, the billiard balls entering space 22 will roll 01f member l3 onto member I2 and roll down member l2 to the right, as viewed in Figure 3, the member l2 being biased clockwise, as viewed in Figure 3, by a spring 32 connecting its forward end portion to the member l5, as shown in Figure 6. When handle 2 9i is raised to its dotted line position in Figure 3, the member I2 is swung counterclockwise to its dotted line position and the balls thereon roll back to the rear end of member H. with the last ball thereon resting in the recess be tween upper ball stop plate l3 and lower ball stop plate M, as shown in dotted view at 33'. When handle 29 is released, spring 32 causes member I2 to swing clockwise to its full line position in Figure 3, and the ball 33 is released and rolls down member I4 and member I5 and out through the openings 3| and 39 to a suitable tray below the device where the ball is made available for re-play.

Designated at I is a vertical grooved bracket member secured to wall 2I outwardly of space 22, and vertically slidable in said bracket member is a ratchet bar 6. Transversely secured to bar 6 are guide pins 34 which extend into vertical slots 35 formed in bracket member I, constraining the ratchet bar 6 to vertical movement in the bracket member 'I. Upward movement of the ratchet bar is limited by the abutment of the upper pin 34 with the upper extremities of the slots 35. Pivotally secured at 36 to lever 8 is a dog 4 which engages the teeth of ratchet bar 6, and is biased clockwise, as shown in Figure 4, by a spring 3'! connecting the lower end of the dog to a portion of wall 2| located forwardly of the pivot connection 36, whereby spring 31 urges the upper end of the dog into engagement with said teeth.

The lever 8 extends through a suitable vertical slot 38 formed in bracket member I.

It will be seen that the number of balls dispensed by the successive lifting of knob 29 will be determined by the allowable upward travel of ratchet bar 6. Each time lever 8 is lifted, the ratchet bar 6 moves upwardly. Designated at I6 is a bracket bar secured at its lower end to wall 2| and having a transverse shaft element 39 rotatably mounted in its upper end. Said shaft element is formed at one end with an upwardlyextending arm 49 connected by a spring M to the upper portion of bracket I. Shaft element 39 carries a dog 5 biased into engagement with the teeth of ratchet bar 6 by the action of spring 4|. As shown in Figure 5, the dog 5 is located immediately subadjacent the dog 4.

Shaft 39 is formed with a downwardly and forwardly-extending arm 42 terminating in a transversely-extending portion 3.

Each time ratchet bar 6 is lifted by ratchet dog 4, the bar 6 is maintained in lifted position by the engagement of dog 5 therewith, the dog 5 engaging the tooth of the ratchet bar 6 below that engaged by ratchet dog 4, as shown in Figure 5.

The above described mechanism including ratchet bar 6, ratchet dog 4- and dog 5, constitutes a latching means actuable step by step to latching position upon rocking movement of the lever 8, the latching means locking the lever B after a predetermined number of oscillations thereof.

The forward end portion of Wall 2| is formed with afball release opening 43 which communicates with the discharge chute leading to the opening 30 Slidably mounted in brackets I I, I I secured to wall 2| is a bar Ill carrying a transverse rod 2 extending slidably through a slot 44 formed in wall 2|. The bar I I] is biased forwardly by a spring 45 connecting rod 2 to a point on wall 2I located forwardly of said rod. The

' forward end of bar It normally extends over the opening 43 preventing discharge of the balls carried on member I2 through opening 43 during play.

Designated at 46 is a coin box secured in housing 20 adjacent forward wall 24. Designated at 4'! is a coin-receiving chute secured to forward wall 24 and communicating with coin box 46, the chute 41 having a coin slide member 48 slidably mounted therein, the slide member 48 having the conventional apertured external portion 49 located in ,iront of the housingZI). Secured to the inner end of coin slide member 48 is a bar I. Bar I is formed with an upper depending vertical portion, an offset 50, and a lower vertical portion 5|. The upper vertical portion of bar I is engageable with the transverse rod 2 when the coin slide member 48 is pushed inwardly, and at the same time, the lower vertical portion 5I is engageable with the transversely-extending portion 3 of shaft element 39.

The ratchet bar 6 may be preset, by properly locating the upper pin 34, to allow the ratchet bar to be raised through a distance corresponding to a predetermined number of notches. When said upper pin 34 reaches the top extremities of the slots 35, further upward movement of the ratchet barfi is prevented. Said ratchet bar is locked in raised position by the locking dog 5 and the lever 8 is locked in the lowered position of handle 29 by the engagement of dog 4 with the locked ratchet bar.

When a new game is started, a coin is placed in the apertured portion 49 of coin slide 48 and the slide i pushed in. The upper vertical portion of arm I engages rod 2 moving release bar I0 rearwardly and causing all the balls on member I2 to be discharged into the ball-release chute through the opening 43 and into the tray below opening 38. At the same time, the lower vertical portion 5I of arm I engages transverse arm 3 and rotates shaft element 39 counterclockwise, as viewed in Figure 5, moving dog 5 away from ratchet bar 6. Dog 5 moves dog 4 away from said ratchet bar, thereby releasing the ratchet bar and allowing the bar to drop to its lowered position to start the new game. During the course of the game the player may serve himself with balls by successively raising handle 29 until ratchet bar fi reach'es its upper limiting position, at which time handle 8 becomes locked, as above described, and no more balls may be served until the ratchet bar is unlocked by inserting a coin in the coin slot and pushing the coin slide inwardly.

A triangular stop block 52 is secured on the forwardcorner of member I2 opposite the opening 43 which directs the balls through said opening when the stop bar I0 is retracted. Normally, there is insufficient space between said stop block and the end of stop bar It to allow a ball to pass therebetween. A similar triangular. directing block 53 is secured to the forward corner of member I5 opposite the opening 3 I. 7

Although a specific embodiment of a coin-operated billiard ball-dispensing device ha been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A billiard ball-dispensing device comprising a housing, means defining a longitudinal chute compartment in said housing, an elongated trough plate extending through the major'portion of said compartment, means pivotally mounting said trough plate in said compartment for swinging movement around a transverse axis at the intermediate portion of said trough plate, a longitudinal lever pivoted in said housing, means carried by said lever underlying the forward portion of said trough plate, means biasing the forward portion of the trough plate downwardly, a vertically-moving ratchet bar slidably carried in said housing, releasable pawl means engaging said ratchet bar and arranged to normally prevent downward movement of the ratchet bar, and a dog carried by said lever and engaging said ratchet bar, said dog being arranged to elevate the ratchet bar responsive to upward movement of the lever.

2. A billiard ball-dispensing device comprising a housing, means defining a longitudinal chute compartment in said housing, a tiltable dispensing trough in said compartment, means for tilting said trough, said last-named means comprising a lever pivoted in said housing and engaging said trough, said lever being arranged to tilt said trough each time the lever is oscillated, means locking said lever after a predetermined number of oscillations thereof, and coin-com trolled means for releasing said locking means.

3. A billiard ball-dispensing device comprising a housing, means defining a longitudinal chute compartment in said housing, there being a ball release opening in said compartment, a tiltable dispensing trough in said compartment, means for tilting said trough, said last-named means comprising a lever pivoted in said housing and engaging said trough, said lever being arranged to tilt said trough each time the lever is oscillated, a vertically-movable ratchet bar slidably carried in said housing, a dog carried by said lever for engaging said ratchet bar and arranged to lift the bar each time the lever is lifted, a locking pawl engaging said ratchet bar and arranged to support the bar in elevated position, said locking pawl being pivoted to the housing, means limiting upward movement of the ratchet bar, a movable closure member carried by the housing and normally extending across said opening, means biasing said closure member to a closing position, a coin-controlled slide member, and means on said slide member simultaneously engageable with said closure member thereof, and means for simultaneously releasing said tilting means and moving said closure means to non-interfering position with respect to said opening.

5. A billiard ball dispensing device comprising a housing, means defining a longitudinal chute compartment in said housing, a trough plate positioned longitudinally of and within said compartment and mounted intermediate its ends for tilting up and down movement about an axis transverse of said compartment, a lever positioned longitudinally of and within said compartment and mounted in said compartment for rocking movement about a second axis transverse of said compartment, means connecting said lever to said trough plate, means operatively connected to said trough plate adjacent one end for biasing the latter end toward its tilting down movement position, and latching means actuable step by step to latching position operable upon rocking movement of said lever, said latching means locking said lever after a predetermined number of oscillations thereof.

6. A billiard ball dispensing device comprising a housing, means defining a longitudinal chute compartment in said housing, a trough plate positioned longitudinally of and within said compartment and mounted intermediate its ends for tilting up and down movement about an axis transverse of said compartment, a lever positioned longitudinally of and within said compartment for rocking movement about a second axis transverse of said compartment, means connecting said lever to said trough plate, means operatively connected to said trough plate adjacent one end for biasing the latter end toward its tilting down movement position, latching means actuable step by step to latching position operable by the rocking movement of said lever, said latching means locking said latching means after a predetermined number of oscillations thereof, and coin controlled means for releasing said locking means.

DOUGLAS F, PRICE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

